Venezuela's socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro announced on Tuesday night the arrest of two “key American mercenaries” who he said were trying to “destabilize” his dictatorship.
President Maduro says the recently arrested Americans are part of a broader “mercenary group” of seven people, including two Colombians and three Ukrainians, all of whom were sent to Venezuela before January 10. He is accused of attempting to “incite violence”. It is the day President Maduro takes office for his third fraudulently obtained six-year presidential term.
“At this time we have captured seven foreign mercenaries, including two important US mercenaries in North America. They are captured. They were captured in Kilo, compareIt's at the highest level,” Maduro said. “I am sure that they will confess in the next few hours, having been found guilty, but they have come to commit acts of terrorism against the peace of Venezuela.”
President Maduro did not reveal the identities or details of the two captured Americans, only describing them as “important mercenaries” in remarks at a public event. socialist dictator reportedly It claimed that the detained Colombians were “killers” and that the three detained Ukrainians were “mercenaries who came from the Ukraine war to bring violence to this country.”
As of this writing, neither President Maduro nor any member of his socialist government has publicly presented evidence to support the charges against the two Americans and the five other detained foreign nationals.
The arrests of the two unidentified Americans add to the list of U.S. nationals arrested on suspicion of “terrorism” by the Maduro regime since the events of the July 28, highly fraudulent presidential election in which Maduro claimed victory. This indicates that the company has joined.
In October, four American citizens detained In Venezuela, he was charged with attempting to “hack” and “sabotage” Venezuela's national infrastructure, as well as conspiring to commit other “terrorist” acts, including planning “attacks” on Maduro and other members of the regime. has been accused.
Three other American “mercenaries with ties to the CIA” were detained. september He is also accused of plotting Maduro's assassination and other “terrorist attacks” in Venezuela.
Like the two Americans President Maduro mentioned on Tuesday, At press time, the Venezuelan regime had not publicly presented evidence to support the charges against the Americans arrested last year.
Venezuelan Minister of the Interior – Long suspected of being a drug lord, but active I wanted it According to US authorities – Diosdado Cabello announced This week, local law enforcement officials announced they had detained more than 125 “mercenaries” on suspicion of engaging in “acts of terrorism and destabilization” since the July 28 sham election.
Cabello said the more than 125 “mercenaries” included Venezuelan nationals and foreign nationals from about 25 countries, including one. Israeli With the arrest of “mercenary” and Argentine military police officer Nahuel Gallo, the government of President Javier Millei officially accuse Last week, Venezuela filed a complaint of “enforced disappearance” at the International Criminal Court.
report published by wall street journal Last week, Maduro's government said it was “hoarding” American and other foreign detainees to use as “bargaining chips” ahead of the start of President-elect Donald Trump's second term.
During the administration of outgoing US President Joe Biden, the Maduro regime conducted several prisoner exchanges with the US. In 2022, Venezuelan socialists were unjustly detained in exchange for socialist dictator and convicted drug trafficker Efrain Antonio Campo Flores and Francisco Flores de Freitas. Released a group of Americans. nephews.
nephews of dictators, commonly referred to as “dictators” narcosobrinos (“Drug Nephew”) arrested In November 2015, he was arrested by DEA authorities in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, while trying to transport 800 kilograms of cocaine belonging to the Colombian Marxist terrorist organization Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to the United States. The two were found guilty; declared In December 2017, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison in the United States.
Biden administration will be inaugurated in December 2023 released Alex Saab, Maduro's top money launderer and new industry minister, in exchange for another group of unjustly detained Americans. Saab was detained by U.S. law enforcement authorities in Cape Verde in 2020 and, at the time of his release, was on trial on charges of using the U.S. financial system to launder $350 million from Venezuela's national treasury.
Christian K. Caruso is a Venezuelan writer who chronicles life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
